Music and the American Culture Essay Example For Students

Music and the American Culture Essay Music has played a vital role in human culture and evidence based on archaeological sites can date it back to prehistoric times. It can be traced through almost all civilizations in one form or another. As time has progressed so has the music and the influences it has on people. Music is an important part of popular culture throughout the world, but it is especially popular in the United States. The music industry here is, and has been, a multi-million dollar business that continues to play an important role in American popular culture. This is also a art form and business that is forever changing as the times and more importantly, technology changes. Technology has changed the way music is made as well as how it is produced, marketed, sold, performed and other various factors associated with music. Women’s rights have progressed over recent history as well as gender roles associated with both genders. The feminist movement has made great progress for the betterment and advancement of women in this country. Women are seen as equals at home and in the workplace because of this feminist movement and theory. Women are not content with being stay at home moms and are pursuing higher education and better professions, previously reserved for men. The feminist movement fights for women in all aspects and is not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Over my generation I have seen examples and conflict between music and the feminist movement in multiple instances. The artifact I have chosen for this assignment is the recently popular Fat Joe and Lil Wayne song, â€Å"Make It Rain†. This song came out in 2006 but reached more popularity with the remix in 2007. This is also a song that was nominated for a Grammy award in 2008. This is a very catchy song that immediately became popular in the club scene, radio, MTV, and in popular culture overall. Many see it as a catchy rap song with a good beat, but the actual message it portrays would have many listeners and parents disgusted. The basic message of this song is that Fat Joe and Lil Wayne like to throw stacks of money at strippers and make it look like its raining in the club, hence the title of the song. These rappers are portraying the lifestyles of young, rich, defiant rap artists. A portion of the lyrics in the chorus are, â€Å"Got a handful of stacks better grab an umbrella. I make it rain, I make it rain (Oh), Make it rain on them hoes†. This chorus is repeated multiple times throughout the entire song. This type of message and song does not fit in with the messages, goals, values and beliefs of the feminists movement and we see a clash between the music industry, specifically rap music, and the feminist movement before and after this song. Since the beginning of its art form rap music has been subject to scrutiny throughout its existence. In a Theresa Martinez reading from the semester, the author describes rap music as a resistance. She builds on a theory of oppositional culture that was composed by Bonnie Mitchell and Joe Feagin (1995). In this article, â€Å"POPULAR CULTURE AS OPPOSITIONAL CULTURE: Rap as Resistance†, Martinez explains how African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans draw on their own cultural resources to resist oppression. She states that this very resistance to the dominate culture in turn, influences popular culture. She goes into detail on possible reasoning behind rap music and where the attitudes and beliefs stem from. She briefly touches on the topic of women in rap and where the attitudes come from. This article gave me a different way of looking at rap music as a whole and the influences of it. In a genre that has tried to bring light to many social issues such as poli ce brutality, poverty, healthcare, discrimination as well as others, I don’t fully understand why rap artists and record companies openly degrade and put women down. Martinez suggests that the misogyny of women can reflect ones family experience and/or structure as well as reflect the sexist American culture and music industry. This type of behavior and example that is being set for younger generations seems to undo all the positive messages and plights that was endured by generations and musicians before. Rap music with negative messages towards women, or anything negative, adds to stereotypes, puts an even bigger microscope over rap music and makes it more apt to criticism. Song and Dance Journal EssayWorks Cited Adams, Terri, and Douglas Fuller. The Words Have Changed but the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music. Journal of Black Studies. Sage Publications. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.  . Johnson, James D., Mike S. Adams, Leslie Ashburn, and William Reed. Differential Gender Effects of Exposure to Rap Music on African American Adolescents Acceptance of Teen Dating Violence. Sex Roles 33.7-8 (1995): 597-605. Print. Martinez, Theresa A. Popular Culture as Oppositional Culture: Rap as Resistance. Sociological Perspectives 40.2 (1997): 265-86. JSTOR. University of California Press. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.